The United States Department of the Treasury is doing its part in the war on drugs by going after criminals playing a key role in drug trafficking into the U.S. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)announced it has sanctioned Mexican national Jesus Alfredo Beltran Guzman, leader of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) for trafficking illicit drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, into the U.S.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released a Financial Trend Analysis detailing patterns identified in Bank Secrecy Act data linked to fentanyl-related illicit finance.
The Department of the Treasury’s OFAC press release states:
One of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world, the BLO is heavily involved in the transportation and distribution of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, to the United States, and has been one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market for over two decades. OFAC carried out this investigation in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“Beltran Guzman and the BLO have continued to operate with violent impunity, trafficking in deadly drugs, threatening communities, and targeting key officials, all while profiting from their criminal schemes,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, in close partnership with our law enforcement colleagues, will continue to disrupt the operations of the cartels and their affiliates that enable the trafficking of deadly drugs like fentanyl across our border and in our communities.”
FinCEN’s press release details its Financial Trend Analysis “focused on patterns and trends identified in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data linked to fentanyl-related illicit finance. Between January and December 2024, financial institutions filed 1,246 BSA reports that identified suspected fentanyl-related activity amounting to approximately $1.4 billion in suspicious transactions. The reported financial activity highlighted various aspects of the illicit fentanyl supply chain—including precursor chemical procurement, fentanyl trafficking, and fentanyl-linked money laundering—that have touchpoints across the U.S. financial sector.”
“As Treasury continues to prioritize combating the illegal production and trafficking of fentanyl, our public-private partnerships are vital,” said Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent. “As today’s analysis shows, the information we receive from financial institutions is a critical element in our ability to more effectively investigate and disrupt the malicious actors that profit off this unprecedented epidemic, and ultimately aids in the effort to save American lives.”
The press release notes that Mexican cartels and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are top offenders:
Illicit fentanyl is primarily synthesized, trafficked, and smuggled into the United States by Mexican cartels. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion—which are Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and Drug Trafficking Organizations—largely control the fentanyl supply chain from Mexico and use precursor chemicals and manufacturing equipment primarily sourced from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to synthesize illicit fentanyl in clandestine laboratories. FinCEN analysis identified Mexico and the PRC as the top two foreign countries listed in subject address fields of fentanyl-related BSA reports filed in 2024.
